Johnny Depp still amuses as bumbling buccaneer Jack Sparrow. Sometimes he’s like a distant uncle dropping in on a family reunion, drunkenly regaling everyone with his exploits; other times, it feels like he’s parodying himself. Not sure which is which.

While the earlier entries were long and meandering, this fifth (and final?) chapter — about the search for Poseidon’s trident — is leaner, brisker and more focused.

Loyalists will appreciate the return of other familiar faces (hello, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley, Jack the Monkey!) and Javier Bardem’s titular maritime menace. The latter, with his eerily floating hair, rotting face and dripping black goo, is the series’ best villain ever. (***)